Shinobi Keyblade Wielders: Chain of Memories
by DragonMaster Jurabi Ozowa
Summary: Sequel to 'Hinata Hyuga the Keyblade's Chosen One': After the defeat of Ansem and restoring peace to the worlds, Hinata, Naruto, Donald, and Goofy start searching for Oturan, King Mickey, and the Fourth Hokage. During their search they ended up in a strange castle. There, Hinata learns about a boy and wants to see him, but Naruto grows weary about her strange behavior.
1. Castle Oblivion

_**Jurabi: Heyyoo every fanfic writer and reader. I'm DragonMaster Jurabi Ozowa. I'm going to make a squealed story here on fanfic. If you haven't see, 'Hinata Hyuga the Keyblade's Chosen One,' please check it out FIRST before reading this story. This story is a sequel to that story and its within Chain of Memories.**_

* * *

**Castle Oblivion**

Naruto, Hinata, Donald, and Goofy start walking down a road they have not seen before and Donald and Goofy are wearing the clothes they wore in the cartoons.

"So now what do we do?" Donald asked.

"We're going to look for Oturan, the Fourth Hokage, and King Mickey." Hinata said.

"But how do we find that there door to the light?" Goofy asked.

"I don't know." Naruto said and the three hang their heads down while Hinata just shakes her head.

"Hey what's that?" Naruto asked and they see Pluto walking across them.

"Pluto?" Donald asked and the dog tuned to them.

"Hey, Pluto, where have you been?" Goofy asked and they see something in Pluto's mouth.

"What is that?" Hinata asked.

"A letter…?" Naruto asks.

"Gawrsh, that's the King's seal." Goofy said seeing Mickey's symbol on the envelope.

"Have you seen Mickey?" Hinata asked and Pluto starts running making them excited.

"C'mon!" Naruto said as he starts running after Pluto and the three follow him.

"Oh boy, oh boy!" Donald shouted in excitement.

"We can't wait to see them again!" Goofy said.

"Ready for this Hinata?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah let's keep going." Hinata said and the trio keep running hoping to find who their looking for.

* * *

As they continued down the road, it soon became night and they had to rest since they lost sight of Pluto. In the middle of the night, Hinata awoke and went down on the path.

"Along the road lies something you need," a voice called from behind. Hinata turned around and saw that no one was there. She then turned around to see a black hooded figure, "But in order to claim it… You must lose something dear to you first." The figure disappeared at those last words. Having nothing else to do, Hinata went back to sleep.

* * *

The next day, the trio woke up and decided to continue along the path. Eventually, they came upon a weird castle.

As we approached it, Hinata suddenly 'realized' something, opened the door, and went in without hesitation. Donald and Goofy followed the same way.

_"I sense something wrong here…"_ Naruto thought.

Once Naruto caught up with the others into the castle, Goofy then said, "You sure we should barge in like this?"

Hinata said, "Good point. I was expecting guards to come over and escort us out or worse, send us to the dungeon."

Donald retorted to Goofy, "We have to if we're gonna find the King…"

"The King?! King Mickey's here?" Goofy asked looking around the room.

"Maybe, maybe not. Something told me he'd be here, that's all." Donald said.

"Now that you mention it, I was thinkin' the same thing." Goofy said.

Hinata gasped, "Are you serious? So was I! One look at this castle…I just knew: He's here."

Naruto then remarked, "Weird. I did not suspect the slightest that we'd find anyone here."

"You got a point there, Naruto.", Jiminy hopped out and said. "This can't be mere coincidence."

"Why, Jiminy? Don't tell me that-", Donald started.

"Yeah! I'm feeling the same thing!"

"That's odd…I'm not feeling it. Only you, Goofy, Donald, and Hinata seem to be affected by this." Naruto said.

"Gawrsh, maybe it's contagious and Naruto seem to have an immunity to it." Goofy said.

"I don't know." Naruto replied. "I'm as normal a kid as Hinata is."

"Or maybe something funny's going on! I think we should check it out." Donald said.

"Okay.", Hinata said and walked forward.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"To check it out! What's the matter, Donald? I thought you were a duck; you're more like a chicken now."

"Damn…she just burnt you, Donald." Naruto said laughing.

"D-don't be ridiculous! Come on, guys!" Donald shouted.

"Okay, but we should shut the door behind us." Goofy said but was shocked by what he saw, "Hinata! Over there!"

When the others looked at Goofy's direction, they saw the same figure Naruto and Hinata encountered, the night before as the door indeed closed.

"Alright, who are you?" Hinata said as the trio took out their weapons and the figure approached them.

"It must be a Heartless! Let's see how it handles my magic! THUNDER!" Donald tried to cast the spell but nothing happened. Confused, Donald tried again."Come on. THUNDER! THUNDER!" Still confused, Donald tried different magic, "Umm…BLIZZARD! FIRE!" Still, nothing happened.

"Why isn't my magic working?" he wondered.

"I should think it's obvious." the figure said. "The moment you set foot in this castle, you forget every spell and ability you knew."

"Really?" Naruto then performed a handsign, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto then summoned a clone like the Jutsu usually does.

"Well, well, well. It seems that you are immune to the castle's effects." the figure said.

"Well how's that possible?" Naruto asks.

"That I do not know. Perhaps you have more than one mind that keeps memories." The hooded figure said, "In this place, to find is to lose and to lose is to find. This is Castle Oblivion!"

"Castle…Oblivion?" Hinata asks.

The figure then vanished in front of their eyes in a dark portal. The trio then turned around to see him behind them.

"Here you will meet people you've known in the past…and people you miss."

"People I miss…?" Hinata repeated then gasped. "Oturan! You mean Oturan! He IS here!"

"If what you want is to find him…" The figure then cast a wind on the group, which Hinata blocked. Just then the figure "crossed over" her and she lost orientation. Annoyed, Hinata tried to slash him, but the figure disappeared and then reappeared at the stairway ahead that ends at a door.

"What did you do?" Hinata asked.

"I took a sample your memories." he said. "And from them, I made this." The figure held up a blue card, "In order to reunite with those you hold dear…" He then threw the card at Hinata who caught it. "Use that card to open the door ahead and within it a new world." Hinata looked closely at the card, "Proceed, Hinata! To lose and claim anew, or to claim anew only to lose…" and he disappeared just like that.

After a minute or so, Hinata then said, "Come on, Let's go!" And the trio all crossed the door and a white light.

* * *

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**Jurabi: Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter so please leave comments and a like if you can. I'm going to refer Naruto, Hinata, Donald, and Goofy as 'the trio' from now on. In my opinion, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is a good game…if you can get around the stupid card system they put in. Also, if you're wonding what I think your wondering…I know you are thinking the one question. Just ask me and I'll give you a hint…:D *troll face***_


	2. T-Traverse Town

**T-Traverse Town?!**

After a few minutes of walking, Hinata and Naruto then looked at a familiar place.

"This can't be right..." Naruto said. "Are we… in Traverse Town?!"

"Weren't we in the castle?" Hinata wondered.

"What you see isn't real." A voice said as they turned, but the figure disappeared and reappeared behind them again. "This town is an illusion created by Hinata's memories which were ingrained in that card."

"Hinata's memories?" Naruto asked.

Jiminy jumped down from Hinata's shoulder. "Forget about that, you two! We lost Donald, Goofy!"

Hinata and Naruto turned around to see that Donald and Goofy were missing.

"Donald? Goofy?" Hinata looked around.

"Where are you guys?" Naruto asked as he and Hinata then turned to the figure. "What did you do to them?!"

"They are at the mercy of the cards. Master the cards, and their strength will be yours again." He explained.

* * *

_**Jurabi: Skipping the card tutorial…and yes, I'll only be writing the dialogue box cutscenes, real cutscenes, and the boss battles from the game. Never liked the card system anyways…**_

_**One card explanation later...**_

* * *

"Well that's interesting..." Naruto muttered. "We have to use cards to attack now."

"That's a bit weird." Hinata said.

"Guys!" A voice exclaimed as they turned to see Donald and Goofy running up to them.

"Are you guys alright? Where have you been?" Hinata asked.

"You tell us! When you opened the door, we saw a strange light and the rest is just...blank!" Donald explained.

"Gee, that doesn't help." Jiminy muttered. "Try to remember what happened. I have to keep my journal up to date."

"These two will be going alone and you two will be cards." The figure explained. "You only appear when summoned on...well...certain occasions."

"Occasions like what?" Goofy asked.

The figure chuckled. "You'll see." It said and then disappeared.

"Well this just sucks..." Donald sighed.

"Hey, we'll get through this." Naruto said, "One way or another."

"Alright." Donald said as he and Goofy disappeared.

"It's gonna feel weird, I can just tell." Hinata muttered.

* * *

_**Many card battles with Heartless later...**_

* * *

"Hmm, fighting without those two isn't exactly easy..." Naruto said.

"No kidding." Hinata nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, Donald and Goofy appeared behind them, as Naruto screamed. "Don't pop out of nowhere like that!" He exclaimed, holding his hand close to his heart.

"Hey, it's not our fault! We don't know what's going on!" Donald exclaimed.

Goofy noticed something. "Hey look!" He exclaimed as they all turned to see Pluto right there.

"Pluto?!" Hinata exclaimed.

"Things just keep getting stranger..." Naruto said, rubbing his head. "What's Pluto doing here?"

"There's nothing strange about that. Donald and I came to Traverse Town with Pluto, didn't we?"

"Did we?" Donald wondered.

"No, wait!" Jiminy exclaimed as he hopped down. "According to my journal, it was before you met Hinata that you came to town with Pluto." He said.

"Wak! He's right." Donald said. "We were chasing after Pluto and that's how we ended up in Castle Oblivion!"

"But aren't we in Traverse Town?" Goofy asked.

"Well, it's not really Traverse Town." Jiminy replied. "I think the card created this Traverse Town inside Castle Oblivion!"

"ARGH!" Naruto exclaimed in frustration. "WHO CARES ABOUT ALL THAT?! THIS IS TOO CONFUSING!"

"We don't know where we are, but let's just keep moving forward defeating Heartless! We're get somewhere." Hinata said, putting her hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"You'd better be careful, or it's the Heartless that are going to defeat you." A voice said as they turned to see…Leon?

"Leon, it's you! What are you doing in Castle Oblivion?" Hinata asked.

"Castle Oblivion?" Leon raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? This is Traverse Town. And wait…how do you know my name? Who are you?" He asked as they all looked at him in shock. "I've never met the likes of you before."

"Quit playing, Leon! We all fought Heartless together! You know that!" Hinata exclaimed.

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know your names." Leon said.

"You…don't?" Hinata asked.

"Sorry." Leon folded his arms.

"I can't believe it. How can you have forgotten about us?" Naruto asked.

"I feel for you, but you've got the wrong guy. Happens all the time. Don't take it so personally, Hinata and Naruto."

Donald and Goofy looked at each other. "You DO know their names!" Donald exclaimed.

"Now, now hold on! Why do I know your names?" He asked.

"You think Leon's just kidding around?" Goofy asked.

"If he is, it's not funny." Donald replied. "Those two are really upset."

"Who's kidding around, Goofy? You and Donald are the ones who-"

"Hey!" Donald interrupted him.

"I don't get it, something's wrong with my memory." Leon muttered. "What's happening here?"

"I dunno, Leon. Maybe Aerith was onto something after all." A voice said as everyone but Leon looked to see Yuffie. "She said she sensed some kind of uncanny kind of power and asked us to look into it. Well, this is as uncanny as it gets. Maybe you should take Hinata and Naruto over to Aerith."

"Yuffie! You know our names!" Hinata smiled.

"Yep! Looks like you know mine, too." Yuffie smiled back.

"You know them?" Leon asked.

"Nope! Total strangers. But I definitely know their names. Strange, yes, but convenient! We can skip the introductions."

Leon sighed in annoyance. "How is it you can accept this situation so easily? I don't get you..." He muttered.

"Well, I'm gonna run ahead and fill Aerith in. Leon, you give them the grand tour." Yuffie smiled at him. "See ya later!" She said and then ran off.

"I guess it's no use pondering over it. Come on, follow me. But there are Heartless wandering around town. I'd better teach you how to protect yourself in battle." Leon said.

"Uh oh." Hinata said.

* * *

_**Another boring card explanation later...**_

* * *

"You think you guys got the hang of it?" Leon asked.

"I think so. We'll figure this all out eventually." Naruto said.

"I found this along the way. Keep it." Leon said, giving the card to Naruto as they looked to see...Simba.

"Its Simba!" Naruto exclaimed.

* * *

_**One trip to Aerith's house later...**_

* * *

"Aerith, you forgot about us too, right?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know whether to say "Nice to meet you" or "Good to see you again". I don't think I know you, but I feel like you belong here." Aerith said.

"Yeah, exactly! Like we've never met, but it still doesn't feel weird knowing your names." Yuffie said.

"But we're telling you, we HAVE met! We took on the Heartless together. We were a team!" Hinata told them.

"It feels like you're right...but I can't remember." Leon muttered.

"Then I guess you won't remember what you told us." Naruto said. "In Hollow Bastion when we sealed the Keyhole..." He said and then looked at Hinata.

"We may never meet again..." Hinata started.

"...But we'll never forget each other." Leon finished.

"See, you DO remember!" Naruto exclaimed.

"They're right, Leon! I remember you saying that too." Yuffie said.

Leon folded his arms. "I guess I can't write it off as a coincidence, then."

"I don't have any memory of it, but somehow I still remember. I think your hearts are doing the remembering for us." Aerith said.

"Our...hearts?" Naruto asked.

"We don't remember you guys, but your hearts are full of memories of us together. Those memories must resonate in our hearts, too. Maybe they tell us things we couldn't otherwise know." Aerith explained.

"So you're saying that their memories are affecting ours?" Leon asked.

Aerith turned to him. "His memories do seem to have a certain power."

"Maybe it's like that guy said, then. This town is an illusion. Something our memories created." Hinata said.

"And...there's someone special to you in this town?" Aerith asked.

"How did you...oh, I get it. Our memories are resonating with yours, telling you what happened." Naruto said as Aerith turned to them. "Yeah, a friend of ours is somewhere in this town...I mean, Castle Oblivion."

"Castle Oblivion? What's that? There aren't any castles here." Yuffie said.

"That's not quite what she meant." Hinata told her.

"You guys are still not sure what's going on, right?" Aerith asked.

"Right. We just got here, after all. We need to take a better look around." Hinata replied.

"Then go have a walk around town. There are Heartless, but that's no problem to you two." Leon said.

Hinata looked at him with a sly smirk. "So you know we can fight?"

"I can't say I know, but I feel like believing you. Let's leave it at that." Leon replied.

* * *

"This is getting weirder by the minute." Donald muttered. "They don't know us, but they do. Am I the only one who's getting more confused?"

"You're not alone." Naruto muttered and sighed. "The sooner we get out of this castle, the better."

* * *

After walking around while taking out some Heartless, they found themselves in the Second District and then noticing Cid, who turned around and smiled. "Well, what do you know? It's Hinata and Naruto."

They all smiled while Cid rubbed his head. "Wait, what am I saying? I don't know you." He said, causing them to anime fall. "But you do LOOK like a couple that resemble you two."

"It's alright, Cid." Naruto said. "That's our names."

"So, you heard of me, huh?" Cid asked. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised."

"Anyway, maybe you can help us out. A friend of ours supposed to be in this castle...I mean town." Naruto said.

"Got any ideas?" Hinata asked.

"Your friend, huh? Lately all this town sees is Heartless. Can't even take two steps without gettin' attacked." Cid replied. "In fact, this plaza is the worst. Word is, a jumbo-sized Heartless shows up when the bell rings. If you value your hide, you'll get outta here while the gettin's good." He said and then walked away.

"Gawrsh, maybe we should leave." Goofy suggested.

"Don't you want to see the Heartless?" Naruto asked smiling.

"NO, WE DON'T!" Donald yelled while Hinata giggled...and then the bell rang. "The bell!"

"We gotta be careful." Goofy said.

Hinata looked up. "UP THERE!" She yelled as Guard Armor landed in front of them.

"When he said Jumbo sized...he wasn't kidding." Naruto said as he and Hinata took out their Keyblades.

* * *

Guard Armor walked towards them and punched them, but both of them dodge rolled out of the way and Naruto jumped up and slashed it three times.

Hinata went over and slashed the feet two times, before getting kicked away from Guard Armor.

"Let's see..." Naruto mixed up three cards and looked at Guard Armor walking to him. "SLIDING DASH!" He yelled and then slashed through Guard Armor.

Hinata jumped up and took out a card. "FREEZE!" He yelled and used Blizzard on Guard Armor, and then Naruto jumped up and slashed Guard Armor three times again knocking it down.

"SLIDING DASH!" Hinata yelled and slashed through Guard Armor, then Naruto jumped up and did his finishing blow, as Guard Armor disappeared from all this and turned into a card.

"Uh..." Naruto said, picking up the card. "Okay then..."

* * *

"So your friend wasn't here?" Yuffie asked.

"No, I don't think we'll find him in this town." Hinata replied. "But he's somewhere in this castle. I just know it." He said.

"Castle? Like this whole town is inside some humongous castle? Hoo, that's rich!" Cid chuckled.

"He's probably right Cid. We may not understand what's going on, but these guys do. They can see that reality is bigger than just this world."

"I wish I was that sure." Hinata muttered.

"You'll be okay. No matter what shape reality takes, you guys can handle it." Leon told them. "I may not remember you, but I know you in my heart."

"Leon..." Naruto sighed.

"Take care, you two." Yuffie waved.

"I'm a little lost...but best of luck anyway." Cid said as they all walked away.

"Well, let's go." Goofy said as they all walked away.

Hinata and Naruto walked with them. "Wait." A voice said as Hinata stopped and turned to see Aerith.

"What's up?" Hinata asked.

"I don't have all the answers, but I have to tell you something." There was sadness in her voice. "Your memories created this town, right?"

"That's what the guy who gave me the card said." Hinata replied.

"If that's true, then this town is just a figment of your mind...and so are we." Aerith said.

"But...you can't be a figment! You're standing right here. The town is here, too!" Hinata exclaimed.

"But I'm not really me. I don't remember the things I should. And I sense things I shouldn't. Hinata, beware of your memories. In the journey to come, you'll be faced with more illusions. Sometimes the shadows of your memory will deceive you, trying to lead you astray."

"So, what exactly does that mean?" Hinata asked.

"I'm sorry...I, myself, am just another illusion. The truth is out of my reach." She replied sadly.

"Don't say stuff like that, it's depressing." Hinata said.

"Stay strong, Hinata. Don't let the illusions distract you from what's truly important." She told them.

"Okay." Hinata nodded.

"Hinata!" a voice shouted as Hinata turned to Naruto, Donald, and Goofy. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, be right there." Hinata replied as she turned back to Aerith. "Well, we'd better get going." Her eyes widened. Aerith was nowhere to be seen. "A-Aerith?!"

"What about Aerith?" Donald asked.

"Where did she go? I was just talking to her." Hinata said.

Goofy tilted his head in confusion. "Aerith left with Leon and the others, remember?"

"Wait, what?" Hinata asked.

"You worried the three of us, you were just standing there." Naruto explained.

_"Is this…what she meant…?"_ Hinata wondered as they all walked away together.

* * *

The doors opened as they walked out of Twilight Town and ended up back in Castle Oblivion, and then they noticed the figure standing right in front of them.

"Well, Hinata? Did you enjoy meeting your memories?" He asked.

"Yeah, it was good to see everyone, but what do you REALLY want from us?" Hinata asked.

"What do you have to give?" He asked and then it started walking to them, as they all got in a battle position.

Suddenly, a portal opened up behind the figure, revealing a man with spiky red hair. "Hello!"

The figure sighed in annoyance. "What do you want?"

"No hogging the heroes." He told the figure.

The figure mentally sighed and then threw a card at him. "Then perhaps you'd like to test them." He said and disappeared into the portal.

"Perhaps I would." The red hairded man said and then looked at them. "My show now, Keyblade Princess. Who am I? Oh, my name's Axel, got it memorized?"

Hinata and Naruto looked at him weirdly. "Um, sure...?" Naruto asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Good, you two are quick learners." He smirked. "So, you two, now that we're getting to know each other better..." Axel put both his arms out and took out two chakrams and then smirked at them. "Don't you go off and die on me now."

* * *

Hinata and Naruto ran towards Axel, but Axel simply disappeared and then reappeared behind them. "BURN!" He yelled, blasting the two away.

Naruto glared at Axel and slashed him three times, and then Axel responded the same way, slashing him multiple times before she could even have a chance to dodge all of them.

Hinata ran towards Axel and was holding a Goofy card with two Kingdom Key cards. "GOOFY!" He yelled.

Goofy appeared and smashed Axel towards Hinata, as Hinata slashed him upwards and then Goofy jumped up and slammed his shield on Axel, sending him down to the ground where Naruto was a few feet away and used Sliding Dash on him.

Axel got up and threw his chakrams at Hinata, but she dodged and then countered, but Axel jumped back and slashed her with his chakrams, and then throwing a chakram to Naruto.

Hinata saw her chance and then slashed Axel away as Naruto aimed his Keyblade at Axel with one hand on a single card. "FREEZE!" He yelled and used Blizzard right on Axel, as he yelled in pain as he just fell to the ground.

* * *

A card appeared in front of the two as they took a look. "Fire, cool." Hinata said. And then another card appeared in front of them, as they all looked at it as Hinata took it.

"Another one? What's it do?" Goofy wondered.

Jiminy took a look at it. "Hmm, Kinda looks like the card you used…when you made Traverse Town." He said.

"Then, I guess we're gonna need it to keep going." Naruto said.

"That's right." A voice said as they all looked up in shock to see Axel leaning on a wall as if nothing happened.

"Axel!" Donald exclaimed.

"Did you really think after that introduction, I would give up oh so easily?" He asked.

"You were testing us." Hinata said.

"And you passed. Congratulations, you two. You're ready now...ready to take on Castle Oblivion." He said as they looked at him with a raise eyebrow. "You will need to follow your memories. Trust what you remember and seek what you forget. Then you will find someone special."

"You mean King Mickey, the Fourth Hokage, and Oturan?" Goofy asked.

Axel chuckled. "You will just have to give more thought to…who it is that's...most important to you. Our most precious memories lie so deep within our hearts that they're out of reach. But I'm sure that you two can find yours, Hinata."

"Why me?" Hinata asked.

"You have lost sight of the light within the darkness and it seems you've forgotten that you forgot." Axel replied.

"Light within darkness...?" Hinata wondered.

"Would you like me to give you a hint?" He asked.

Goofy looked at Hinata. "Hinata, do ya need it?" He asked.

Hinata looked at Axel. "I'm going to figure it out by myself." Hinata said, then gripping her Keyblade at Axel. "If you're in my way..."

Donald got in front of both of them. "Don't worry, Hinata! We'll protect you!"

Axel chuckled. "Good answer. Just what I'd expect from the Keyblade Princess." He said and then frowned at them. "But be forewarned: When your sleeping memories awaken, you may no longer be who you are now." He warned and then disappeared into the portal.

* * *

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**Jurabi: Yeah…I didn't like this game. The card system was so hard to control and the battles were so long and repeditive, which is why I'm only doing cutscenes and boss battles. Well, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. And if you're wondering what an Ozowa is, BE. PATIENT!**_


	3. 2nd Floor and Awakening

**2****nd**** Floor and Awakening**

As they kept walking, Jiminy was just thinking to himself. "Hmm..." He thought.

"What's wrong, Jiminy?" Hinata asked.

"Well, ya see, what Axel said back there worries me. What could he have meant by, 'You may no longer be who you are'?" He wondered, looking at Hinata.

"Hinata may no longer be Hinata? How can she be someone else?" Naruto asked.

Jiminy chuckled. "Of course! Still, you can't be too careful."

Goofy nodded. "Yep, Feels like just about anything could happen here in Castle... Oblivi...Oblivi...Obliv..." He tried to figure out what it was.

"Castle Oblivion!" Donald told him.

"Oh yeah! Now I remember!" Goofy smiled.

"We'll be okay!" Hinata smiled. "Whatever it is they're cooking up, we'll be able to handle it together."

"'Course we will, like at that creepy castle we explored together, the one with all those weird contraptions." Goofy said.

Everyone but Naruto folded their arms and thought about it. "When was that?" Hinata asked.

"Oh come on. You guys know." Naruto said.

"Uh...I can't remember." Donald said. "What was it called?"

"Gawrsh, oh it was, uh...Holla...Holly...Holler..." Goofy scratched his head. "Sorry, I can't remember."

"What?! You don't remember Hollow Bastion?!" Naruto asked in shock.

"Was that its name?" Goofy asked.

"Wak! Stop goofing around, you two!" Donald exclaimed.

"Naruto, Goofy, sure you didn't make it up?" Hinata asked.

"I don't think so..." Goofy replied.

"Well I know we've been to a castle and it was called Hollow Bastion." Naruto said.

"If you say so…" Hinata said.

"We're gonna be here all week if we wait for Goofy to remember." Donald muttered.

"Harrow...Halo...hmm...That's funny, why can't I remember?" Goofy wondered as they walked up to the door and Hinata took out five cards.

"Let's see... Wonderland, Olympic Coliseum, Mushroom Kingdom, Monstro, Halloween Town and Agrabah." Hinata said and took out the Agrabah card. "Well, let's go." She said and they walked in.

* * *

As soon as they arrived in Agrabah, Goofy quickly pointed out something up ahead of them.

"Look, guys!" he shouted. "Someone's in trouble!" Sure enough ahead of them was a man in white pants and a purple vest surrounded by Heartless.

"We'd better do something!" Donald pulled out his staff and they ran forward.

"Looks like you could use some help!" Hinata told the man as she used the Keyblade to slash through a Shadow. Hinata's eyes widened a little when he saw that the Keyblade had turned into its Three Wishes form.

"Thanks!" the man used his own scimitar to attack. "I thought I was done for!"

* * *

After a while of defeating the Heartless, more of them showed up.

"They just keep coming!" Donald shouted as he and Goofy were pulled out of their cards once more.

"Guess we'd better see if the legends are true," Aladdin said and pulled a gold lamp from his vest. "Magic lamp, my first wish! Get rid of these Heartless!" With this a large form flew from the lamp. It was a large man that floated off the ground and had blue skin.

"Did someone say 'wish'? Then stand back, kids, Genie of the lamp coming through!" Genie shouted. "There ain't nothin' I can't make right as rain, well, if we had rain. But enough dry jokes! One Heartless disappearing act coming right up!" With a snap of his fingers the Heartless gone.

"Gawrsh!" Goofy's eyes widened.

"Why didn't you call him in the first place?" Donald asked.

"It's not that simple," Aladdin said. "You see…"

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Genie interrupted. "But I will anyway! I'm strictly limited to three wishes per master. And no wishing for more wishes!" With a wink and a puff of blue smoke Genie went back into the lamp.

"So you've got two wishes left?" Hinata asked. "Better use them carefully."

"I've got to get back to the palace somehow. But with all these Heartless…"

"Hey, guys. We're headed that way too, so why don't we go with Aladdin?" Goofy informed him.

"Sounds like a plan," Naruto nodded.

"That would be great!" Aladdin grinned. "Thanks a lot guys!" Aladdin pointed toward the palace and they started walking.

"So, uh, why are you going to the palace Aladdin?" Goofy asked.

"It's this magic lamp I found in the Cave of Wonders," Aladdin pulled the lamp out. "I need to get it to the palace right away! I'm lucky I made it back to Agrabah in one piece! The cave was crawling with Heartless."

"Wasn't there anyone else there to help you out?" Naruto asked.

"I know how you feel, Master," Genie appeared from the lamp. "I've been delivering happiness for 2,000 years. And what help do I get? I keep dreaming someone will wish me out of this gig. But go figure the odds on that."

"Well, how 'bout I use my third wish to set you free?" Aladdin asked and Genie stopped in his tracks.

"Doth my pointy ears deceive me? Master, you'd do that for me?" Genie gave him and accusing look. "You're not just pullin' my topknot now, are you?"

"I promise Genie. Anyway, there's only one thing I really want."

"Then we'll just have to do something about that, Al! Can I call you Al? So, what'll it be? Fortune? A herd of luxury camels to call your very own?"

"Well, there's this girl. Her name is Jasmine. She's princess of Agrabah. And that's the problem. It's hard for a guy like me to get a chance to see her. That's how this all started. Jafar, the royal vizier, said he would help me meet Jasmine."

"Sounds like you wish should be that you can see Jasmine anytime you want, huh?" Hinata offered.

"Well, I've got just the package for you! You'll not only meet the lady, you'll go in style as Prince Ali! How do you like the sound of that Al?"

"Me, a prince! Can you really do that?"

"In an Agrabah minute!"

"I guess the legends were true after all. Let's hurry to the palace!" They all nodded and started running.

* * *

Donald's yell brought them to a stop.

"Hey! Look at that!" Donald pointed somewhere ahead of them

"Who is that…?" Aladdin peered closer as he saw a person surrounded by various types of Heartless. "It's Jasmine!"

"She needs our help!" Goofy said with a stern look.

"We'll never make it in time!" Naruto pointed out. Due to the way Agrabah was built they were probably two floors above her.

"Then I've no choice," Aladdin said with his head down. "Genie I wish for you to save Jasmine!"

"Can do!" Genie flew forward quickly. "CHAAARGE!" Then with a snap of his fingers the Heartless disappeared.

"Jasmine!" Aladdin jumped down to the princess with Naruto, Hinata, Donald, and Goofy close behind him.

"We're lucky!" Goofy pointed out. "She fainted, but it looks like she's okay."

"But now you've only got one wish left," Naruto reminded Aladdin. Suddenly even more Heartless appeared around them.

"Not again!" Aladdin shouted. "Sorry, Genie. But you're the only one who can…"

"Wait!" Hinata stopped him. "This is your last wish! Don't waste it." With a smirk the Three Wishes appeared in her hand. "This time, let us handle the wish-granting!" As normal Goofy and Donald went back into their cards but this time Aladdin turned into a card as well.

* * *

After defeating the Heartless, the group turned back to Aladdin.

"See? We didn't need Genie this time," Hinata grinned.

"Thanks, Hinata. So I'm down to my last wish…" Aladdin started pondering his wish when several flashes filled their vision.

"What the…" Hinata blinked through the light.

"What's happening?" Donald shouted.

"Oh, no!" they heard Aladdin shout. Turning they saw him patting himself down with a terrified look. "The lamp! It's gone!"

"Hmm, it seems my plans have gone amiss," a sinister voice came from above. I was certain you'd waste your last wish, what with poor Jasmine in distress and the Heartless to deal with." Looking up they saw a man in red and black robes with a long staff with a snakehead at the top. "But no matter. At last the lamp is mine to command!"

"Why are you doing this, Jafar?" Aladdin shouted. "I brought you the lamp, just as you asked!"

"Don't think you can fool me, boy!" Jafar sneered. "You were going to use the lamp to win Jasmine! But we can't have that now, can we? You see, _I_ am the one Jasmine will marry!" Jafar laughed.

"You!" Hinata shouted in disgust.

"If I marry Princess Jasmine, nothing can stop me from becoming king of Agrabah! You're nothing more than a pawn in my game, street rat!" Jafar raised the lamp high above his head. "Genie! My first wish! Deliver Jasmine to me!" In a flash Genie floated next to Jafar with Jasmine in his arms.

"Genie!" Aladdin shouted in shock. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, Al. My hands are tied on this one," Genie lowered his head. "I gotta obey whoever has his mitts on the lamp."

"Precisely," Jafar smirked. "Farewell, Aladdin, you fool!" Jafar laughed and walked away with Genie close behind.

"Great…" Aladdin kicked the dirt. "Now I've lost Jasmine and the lamp."

"Well, you can feel bad about it some other time!" Naruto said firmly. If you don't pull yourself together, you'll never see Jasmine again! You lost the lamp. So what? You can still save her on your own! Losing someone you care about is bad, but not as bad as never getting them back!"

"Hinata…" Aladdin muttered. "You're right. I can't give up now! I'm going to save Jasmine!"

"But Jafar's got the lamp," Donald reminded everyone. "We can't just walk up to him and expect to win." Aladdin seemed to think about this for a moment when his eyes lit up with a plan.

"Maybe we can," he grinned. "I've got an idea. Listen up!"

* * *

Hinata, Donald, and Goofy ran through the streets of Agrabah until they reached the gigantic palace. In front of the gate stood Jafar with Jasmine unconscious on the ground beside him.

"What's this?" Jafar smirked. "Has Aladdin given up on his precious Jasmine already? Well, I'm not going to waste a wish on the likes of you three. I'll deal with you myself!" Jafar walked toward them with his staff raised.

"Aladdin! Now!" Hinata shouted suddenly. Jafar whipped around to see Aladdin drop from the roof of a building to the ground.

"What? You!" Jafar yelled. "Genie, seize him!" Aladdin ran toward Jasmine but Genie appeared and stopped him.

"Al, forgive me!" Genie said before landing a punch across Aladdin's face and sending him flying backwards. Aladdin got back to his feet and was rubbing where he was hit but had a grin on his face.

"You fell for it, Jafar!" he chuckled a little.

"What do you mean?" Jafar demanded.

"He means you just blew your second wish!" Hinata laughed. "Only one left!"

"Go ahead, use it to win Jasmine's heart," Aladdin pulled out his scimitar. "You'll still have us to deal with!"

"Oh, now I get it!" Genie laughed as well. "Al, you are so clever!"

"Well, well," Jafar walked slowly toward Aladdin, his voice oddly calm. "The cunning of a rat. But unfortunately, you can't see beyond the cheese. Your little ploy changes nothing! I can crush you once and for all and make Jasmine my own!" Jafar turned and raised the lamp. "Genie! My last wish! Transform me into an all powerful Genie!" Jafar was laughing like a madman as Genie granted the wish.

It was like a storm. Jafar was enveloped by dark clouds that had electricity jumping between them. Donald, Goofy, and Aladdin were turned into cards and Hinata tried to run. There was a deep laughter as the clouds came over Hinata and he felt an odd pulling sensation.

"No way," Hinata muttered as he looked around. He stood in a gigantic room that was filled with lava. He stood on a large platform suspended over the lava. "It's so hot. Jafar must be doing this." At the mention of his name Jafar burst out of the lava. Now however, he was a large and muscular red genie.

Jafar let out a deep laughter and beams of fire flew from his eyes. Hinata and Naruto quickly dived to his right but he could still feel the heat from the attack. He stood back up only to be blasted down as more fire beams shot from Jafar's eyes and struck Hinata on the chest.

"We'll never beat him like this," Hinata groaned. Jafar didn't let up as he brought his fist down. Hinata and Naruto jumped back as he saw Jafar's hand crush the ground he had been standing on seconds earlier. Hinata took his opening and rammed her Keyblade into Jafar's hand. Jafar simply laughed as the wound was healed quickly. Jafar quickly brought his other hand down and punched Hinata knocking her way back and nearly off the platform into the lava below but Naruto caught her in time.

"I am immortal! You will never defeat me!" Jafar shouted. Using his giant arms he reached into the lava and pulled out a huge ball of volcanic rock. Hinata ran straight for Jafar, hoping to stop the attack. She was not quick enough however and Jafar threw his deadly weapon. Hinata was not struck directly but the explosion sent her flying into the air and now she knew he would hit the lava, no matter what.

"I've got you!" Naruto shouted catching Hinata again.

"Thank you, Naruto." Hinata smiled she looked into the air. There was Jafar's parrot, Iago, and he had Jafar's lamp with him. "That's it. We need to get the lamp."

"Leave it to me." Naruto said pulling out Donald's card from his pocket. Donald appeared and with a Thunder spell Iago was knocked out of the air and the lamp with him. Hinata ran over and help the lamp up.

"No! Put that down! NO!" Jafar shouted, but it was useless. He was being sucked into the lamp and he had no chance of escaping it.

Hinata shouted in victory as Jafar was pulled into the lamp. He suddenly felt the same pulling sensation and he was taken back to Agrabah.

"That takes care of that!" Donald said triumphantly as they stood in front of Agrabah palace once again.

"Yep! Jasmine's saved and we got the lamp back, too!" Goofy grinned. "Hey, Aladdin, don't you still have one wish left?"

"He sure does," Genie interrupted. "Time for me to make a prince out of this guy!'Course, I'd like to be free. But like they always say, genies can't be choosers. You're probably miffed about that whole puppet-of-Jafar thing, anyway. Go on, Al. Wish for what's really in your heart. Be a prince. Get the girl."

"Okay, here goes…" Aladdin said quietly. "I wish…for Genie's freedom!"

"But Al!" Genie started but he was cut off as blue smoke whirled all around him. When he cleared he stood on legs and the golden rings on his arms broke off.

"Now no one like Jafar can use you for evil again," Aladdin nodded. "Genie, you're free!"

"Al, I'll never forget this," Genie placed his hand on Aladdin's shoulder. "But what about Jasmine? What are you going to do?"

"I was wrong, Genie. If I used you to help win Jasmine I'd be no better than Jafar. Jasmine means the world to me. I want to show her the real me."

"That's the spirit!" Hinata grinned.

"Thanks, Hinata. And good luck!"

"What for?"

"I was ready to give up back there, but then you said some things to keep me going. That's when it hit me. You must be looking for someone you care about, too."

"Yeah…"

"Listen, Genie…" Aladdin turned back to Genie but Genie stopped him.

"Say no more, little pal! I know just what you're thinking. Here you go, Hinata!" Genie waved his hand and a card appeared before Hinata with Genie's picture. "Whenever you need me, just call. That okay with you, Al?"

"Of course!"

"Are you sure?" Hinata asked.

"Anytime at all," Genie assured them. "Hey, without you guys, I might never have been able to ditch that lamp. And I think Aladdin will be fine on his own now."

"Wow, thanks a lot!" Hinata pocketed the card.

"Let's hope both are wishes come true, then," Aladdin shook Hinata's hand. "Take care, Hinata!" Aladdin and Genie both ran off. Hinata started wondering about what to do next when a door suddenly appeared on the wall next to them. Hinata stared back at Naruto, Donald, and Goofy and they stepped through.

* * *

Hinata, Donald, and Goofy emerged on the next floor of Castle Oblivion, they sparkling white walls nearly blinding them. They started walking for the next door when Goofy suddenly stopped.

"What is it, Goofy?" Donald asked.

"It's that castle I mentioned earlier," Goofy appeared to be in deep thought.

"Hollow Bastion?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure I didn't make it up. That was the castle where Hinata used the Keyblade to free the Tailed Beast, separate Naruto and…uh…someone else…"

"Mithra." Naruto reminded.

"Hm…and then she just disappeared. I'll never forget how worried I was."

"Oh, yeah!" Hinata suddenly said. "When I turned into a Heartless! Wait, that happened in…a castle?"

"Yes, it did Hinata. Don't you remember?" Naruto asked.

"No…I don't." Hinata said.

"You forgot?" Donald asked. "Well I remember it perfectly."

"Oh really? Then what was the castle called then?" Naruto asked.

"Easy! It was…" Donald trailed off. "Hey, Jiminy! You wrote down everything that happened in your journal, right?"

"Every letter!" Jiminy leaped out of Hinata's pocket. "I finished off the first volume right before we got to this castle. Let's see if I can find the old book. Ah, here it is! Let's have a look…" Jiminy opened the book and froze with a look of shock on his face. "This…This isn't possible! All the entries have vanished! Every page, blank!"

"What!" Donald shouted.

"How could this happen?" Jiminy muttered. "I take such good care of my journals! All that hard work, gone…"

"What kind of castle is this?" Hinata questioned.

* * *

In a room in a much higher floor of Castle Oblivion a girl sat in a chair. Her raven black hair fell over her shoulder. Her elegant white dress going down to her ankles. She appeared to be writing something in her sketchbook.

* * *

Meanwhile far below the floors of the castle, Oturan was floating in the grey ether. He twitched and his eyes cracked open and he looked around.

"Where...?" He closed his eyes again, trying to regain his thoughts. The last thing he remembered was closing Kingdom Hearts, then...nothing.

"You've been sleeping." A voice said.

Oturan shot upright, eyes wide as he cried out. "Who's there?!" The voice responded, but not to his question.

"You've been sleeping. Here, between light and dark." The voice said.

Oturan scanned the area, but saw nothing but the grey fog. "Between light and dark?" It was then he realized he was alone.

"Hold on, where's the King?! We all closed the door together, but after that..." The voice's tone was annoyed.

"You're the only one who washed up here. You didn't have the power to prevail over the Darkness. No, you should have embraced the Darkness."

Oturan scoffed, lips curling upward in a half snarl. "Humph. You talk like I'm some kind of demon."

"You turned your back to the light, before you closed your eyes. Here, blanketed by Darkness, sleep is safety. Sleep is eternal. But..." Oturan closed his eyes as a ball of light appeared in front of his face, the light turning into a card. Said card floated around him in a slow, lazy circle.

"Is this...?"

"It is a door to truth. Take it, and your sleep ends. Take it, and take the first step towards the truth. But, the truth will bring you pain. Will you still go?" The card came to a stop in front of Oturan's face. "There can be no returning to the sweet security of sleep."

Oturan closed his eyes, before grabbing the card. A smug smile flitting on his face. "Seems like a boring place to take a nap anyway." The voice laughed.

"As I expected from you, Oturan…or should I say, Kurito Takemaru."

"What?" Oturan asked but the card lit up in a bright flare, and a sound of pain escaped Oturan's throat as he clamped his eyes shut. When he opened them again, he was no longer floating in the ether, but rather had his feet on solid ground. White walls and floor greeting his as he looked around.

"Kurito…? What kind of name is that…?" He then looked at the card, "A door to the truth, huh? If it takes me to the King, I couldn't care less." Oturan walked to the door and used the card he had to open it.

…

Oturan arrived at his destination to receive a shock of his life as he looked around. After a moment of scanning his surroundings, he gave voice to his thoughts.

"This is…Maleficent's castle! How'd I end up in here? Did someone bring me here while I was sleeping?" He jumped slightly, the Voice ringing out across the abandoned hallways.

"What you see is not real. It's just a memory."

"Just a...memory?" Had the voice been beside him now, Oturan was sure it's owner would have nodded.

"The things you remember of Maleficent's castle from your time here. Those memories became a card, and that card became this world. The things you see, you've seen them all before, haven't you?" Oturan nodded, hands on his hips as he looked up.

"Yeah. So, what now? Am I supposed to learn something while I'm here? Maybe run into Naruto or Hinata?"

"Ordinarily, yes. You would meet the people in your memories." Oturan screwed up his face, what was that supposed to mean?

"Ordinarily? Hey, I'm asking you a question!" When the voice didn't answer, Oturan rolled his eyes, lip curling into a snarl. "Fine. But it better be you I run into next, I'm sick of talking to thin air." The castle was more that abandoned, for not ever Heartless patrolled its halls. After ten minutes of aimless walking, Oturan stumbled upon his old room. Looking around the dusty area, Oturan sighed. "It's like he said. Every thing's just how I remember it. Even this room." The boy jumped as the voice spoke up once more.

"It must be nice. Being back in your old bedroom. Think of all the memories."

"You again. Sorry, but I could do without these memories. Maleficent gave me this room." The voice laughed.

"So she did. And you lived here, tempted by the darkness so you could revive your girlfriend. You cast away your home, your friends, everything, and all to bring back that one girl. At least they gave you a nice room." Oturan snarled, turning on his heel and running from the room. More rooms all turned up empty.

"No one in there either. There's no one in this castle." He looked towards the castle ceiling, eyes filled with rage, and sadness under that. "Voice! I know you're watching, so explain this. Where are the people in my memories? Tell me!"

"Are you sure you want to see them?"

"Of course I do. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."

"But you cast them aside. To reach the outside world and protect your friends, you passed through the door to darkness. Behind you, you left family, friends, home, everything, and all in the pursuit of darkness." Oturan snarled again, fisting his hands.

"But I cast that aside too!"

"Then what do you have to show for it? First your home, then the darkness. Your heart only knows how to throw things away. It's empty, like this castle. Like your memories. That's why no one is in the castle with you, for your heart is hollow except for the dark you couldn't quite shake off."

"You're full of it! I rejected the darkness!" The voice laughed as Oturan sprinted down the hall.

"Did you really?"

Oturan pretended not to hear that, running through the doors of the castle chapel. Maleficent faced him once he entered the massive room.

"I knew you'd return, Oturan." His Keyblade appeared in his hand

"Maleficent! You're still alive?!" The witch laughed.

"You haven't been paying attention, have you? I am but a figment of your memory." Oturan looked at the ground, knuckles going white beneath his gloves.

"Of all the people I could run into, it had to be you."

"Who else? Naruto or Hinata? Your heart is stepped in the darkness. You can only see people who exist in that same darkness. People like me." Oturan squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the moisture pooling beneath his lids.

"No..."

"Be grateful that you have someone to keep you company. Your heart is empty. Were it not for the darkness in your heart, you would be completely alone." Oturan laughed, trying to keep his voice from cracking.

"That's sounding pretty good right about now." Maleficent opened her arms, waiting.

"Come now. You once clung to me to sate your hunger for the darkness. You want me to be here. Who else but I can give you the darkness you so long for?" Oturan looked up, eyes meeting the witches green cat slits.

"There was a time that I did want you around. I surrendered my heart to the dark. But never again. You and your darkness have nothing left to offer." He turned around, fist clenching tightly around his Keyblade's hilt.

"All I did was lose myself. Empty myself! I'm finished with that. If I'm going to be stuck seeing people like you, people of the darkness..." He turned back around, eyes once more steeled on his target. "Then I'll just have to take you out one by one." Maleficent glared at the boy.

"Then don't forget to take yourself out last. After all, you are one of the darkness."

"That's fine with me. I turned to the darkness because my heart was weak. I hate that weakness. It's like I'll always be my own worst enemy." He took a step closer to Maleficent. "And seeing people like you embrace the darkness just makes it worse!" He drew his Keyblade into a fighting position, eyes filling with anger. "Enough talk Maleficent, I've had enough."

Maleficent laughed, a haunting cackle that would have made anyone want to run and hide. "So you hate the darkness enough to fight it. Oh, the agony you must feel!" She lifted her staff into the air, it's orb tip glowing a harsh yellow. "Let me end your pain Oturan, end it forever with the wondrous power of Darkness!"

With a flash, she had transformed from the humanoid form she'd undertaken, into that of a humongous dragon. Oturan ran forward to combat her, and avoiding her slashing claws and teeth. Her underbelly was within range, so he struck at it. He winced as she cried out in pain, her shriek dumping stones from the ceiling to the ground. Crying out in pain as she hit him with her flame breath, Oturan rolled out from beneath her, crouching behind the stones to catch his breath and assess his wounds quickly. His left arm was now sporting a rather odd burn mark, and his cheek was also burned. Cursing himself for getting sloppy, Oturan jumped up onto one of the taller pieces of rock, before tossing his Keyblade into the crack he'd made in Maleficent's under scales. With another earth shaking shriek, she tumbled to the ground. Disappearing in a pillar of green fire, Maleficent faded away. Oturan sighed in relief, wincing as his arm began to throb with pain.

* * *

Leaving the castle chapel behind him, Oturan exited Hollow Bastion, coming back to the same dreary white hall he'd arrived in after accepting the card. In this hallway however, there was a spinning, diamond shaped crystal, pulsing a crystalline blue. Curiosity getting the better of him, he touched it with his good arm. A feeling much like a cure spell ran through his battered form, lingering longer on his wounded arm and cheek. And as sudden as it came, the feeling gone, taking the burns from Maleficent's flame with it. The skin that had been burned away was now just like before he'd fought her, without even a scar to remain on him. Oturan shook his head before heading up the stairs. Upon reaching the hallway, the voice spoke up once more, making Oturan stop midway to the next door.

"Why do you shun the dark?"

"Oh come on. I know you head every word I said to Maleficent."

"Darkness is your weapon; I need you to accept that."

"What do you care?"

"Stop resisting and accept the darkness. You must, if you are to serve me again!" With a bright flash, Ansem appeared in front of Oturan.

"Ansem. Just as I thought." The dark skinned man laughed.

"You don't seem surprised."

"You always were chatty when it came to the darkness. So, let me guess. You want to pull me back into the darkness and play puppet master again, right?" Ansem smirked.

"Clever boy. You'll make a fine host once more. Now, surrender to me again."

Oturan snarled, his Keyblade appearing in his hand. "You're insane! There won't be an again!" He lunged at Ansem, only to get forced back by some kind of barrier. Sent flying through the air, Oturan crashed onto the hard floor face first. Ansem's booted feet clicked on the tile as he walked closer to Oturan. The boy groaned, trying to settle the raging pain in his heart.

"Did you really think you could harm me? A weakling like you couldn't even defeat the Keyblade Princess Hinata, and you had the darkness on your side." Oturan curled into himself.

"Excuse me, for being weak." Ansem laughed, but, for some reason, it sounded hollow to Oturan's ears.

"You need the darkness. Submit! Bow to the darkness, and bow to me once more." Another step, forcing the panic that Oturan had tried too hard to hold back to flood his veins.

"Not a, chance." Another step.

"Only darkness can help you now." Oturan squeezed his eyes shut, mental apologies flying across his consciousness as Ansem was nearly on top of him.

"You're wrong!" A voice said.

Oturan's eyes flew open, and he shoved himself to his knees. "That voice...Your Majesty!" A bright white orb flew between the young boy and Ansem, before hovering in a circle around Oturan.

"You betcha! Oturan, you're not alone. I'm rootin' for ya!" The orb flew back in between Oturan and Ansem, disappearing with a flash. But the Kings voice remained a moment longer as Oturan stood, facing away from Ansem. "Listen carefully now Oturan. The light'll never give up on you; you'll always be able to find it, even in the deepest darkness! But you have to believe!" Oturan nodded, looking over his shoulder at Ansem.

"I will!" Oturan then turned to Ansem, "You hear that Ansem? I'm not losing to the dark today…or any day!" His Keyblade in hand, Oturan readied himself to attack.

"You think some feeble light can save you from the darkness I command? Fool! You don't stand a chance-" Another orb of light, this one a pale purple, placed itself between Oturan and Ansem.

* * *

After a battle, Ansem scoffed. "It seems you are intent on resisting the darkness. Very well, see with your own eyes." A small deck of cards appeared in Ansem's hand, before he tossed them to Oturan. Oturan caught them quickly, fumbling as they nearly slipped through his fingers.

"What are these?"

"Those are cards crafted from your memory. Advance through the worlds they beget, and you will come to understand. Chasing the light will not distance you from the darkness. You cannot run away."

"I'll enter those worlds Ansem. And in the end, if I haven't given up, I win." Ansem nodded.

"Very well. I have one more gift for you." Extending a hand to Oturan, he called something from deep within the boy's heart. A green aura encircled Oturan's, fading as quickly as it came. He looked up at Ansem.

"What did you do?!"

"I tempered the darkness that remains in your heart." With a glare, Oturan straightened up.

"What, you still think that I'd still rely on the darkness?" Ansem tilted his head before he crossed his arms.

"Whether you use it or not is your choice." He floated back towards the door that Oturan was about to go through, before fading from sight. But his voice remained. "I'll be waiting, Oturan. For you to come to your senses and yield to the Darkness!" Oturan sat up; looking over the cards he'd received.

"I'm not running." He said, "Running would mean going back to sleep. What I'm doing is called courage."

* * *

In a dark corridor, a blue spiky haired man wearing a black robe with the letter stands alone thinking deeply until an orange spiky haired man wearing a black robe appeared from a dark portal. The two were quiet and the blue haired man looked like he was waiting for something until he said, "Don't I even warrant a hello, Lexeous?"

That was when a blonde haired man in a black robe appeared from a dark portal, "What is going on here, Zexion? I want an explanation."

"Nice to see you too, Vexen." The blue haired man named Zexion said, "It's such a shame. The organization used to be the rope that bounds us together."

"You're only number 6; how dare you!" The blonde haired named Vexen said enraged.

"Let it go, Vexen," The orange haired man named Lexeous said as Vexen calmed down. He then turns to Zexion, "Zexion, tell us. What did you detect?"

"Visiters." Zexion said. "I picked up two scents in the castle's lower basement. One of them belongs to Maleficent."

"Don't be absurd, that witch is gone." Vexen said, "She cannot return from the realm of darkness at her own volition."

"If you would let me finish, the reading didn't belong to the _real_ Maleficent, but to a very convincing double. But I truly cannot say anything beyond that since the double is no more. We can thank our other visitor for that."

"Then who is the other one?" Lexeous asked.

"I do not know for sure, but the other reading is similar to that of the superior's."

"And yet, not exactly the same was it?" Vexen asked as Zexion and Lexeous nodded. "This truly peaks my curiosity."

"Now…What to do?" Zexion asked.

Lexeous was silent for a moment until he answered, "We wait and see what develops."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the second floor, Hinata, Naruto, Donald, and Goofy continued on.

"Something funny's going on…" Donald pulled Hinata aside so they could talk. "How could everything Jiminy wrote vanish like that?"

"Maybe it's not just stuff we write down…Goofy said we've been to some other castle that Naruto called Hollow Bastion. But I don't remember it at all. None of us but Naruto really do. Maybe…maybe we don't remember because those memories are gone."

"Gone? Don't be ridiculous!" Donald said.

"Wait!" Jiminy interrupted them. "Remember what that guy in black hood said?'In this place, to find is to lose and to lose is to find.' He was talking about memories!"

"So if we keep going we'll lose our memories," Hinata said in slight disbelief. "No wonder they call it Castle Oblivion."

"I don't understand though, I'm not losing my memories here." Naruto said.

"So, the higher we go the more we forget?" Donald asked. "What if we forget everything and can't get it back?"

"I'd forget all of our friends too…" Hinata frowned.

"Maybe we should turn back," Donald suggested.

"Don't worry!" Goofy walked over. "We might forget where we've been or what we saw, but we won't forget our friends."

"What makes you so sure?" Donald asked.

"Hinata, when you turned into a Heartless, did you forget about us?"

"Of course not!" Hinata said quickly. "I'd never forget you!"

"Well, see, there you go! No matter what happens, you won't forget your friends."

"Yeah, you're right," Hinata nodded. "Thanks, Goofy."

"I guess there's nothing to be afraid of after all. So let's go!" Donald pointed toward the next door.

"Hey, Donald?" Hinata stopped him. "When I was a Heartless, who was the one who took forever to notice and kept clobbering me?"

"Why haven't you forgotten that?!" Donald fumed and the rest of them laughed.

* * *

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**Jurabi: Alright, I'm writing on both Naruto and Hinata and Oturan's stories. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Spent all night working on it.**_


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